The drifts this month are: –

Wednesday 3rd September at Latchmoor, Brockenhurst
Shirley Holms, Longslade View, Longslade Bottom & Setley Pond car parks and the cycle route along the Old Railway will all be closed for the duration of the drift.

Friday 5th September at Culverley
Beaulieu Road, Yew Tree Heath, Northgate and Kings Hat car parks will all be closed for the duration of the drift.

Sunday 7th September at Hill Top/Hardley
Dibden and Moonhills car parks and the cycle route from Ipers Bridge to Kings Copse will be closed for the duration of the drift.

Wednesday 10th September at Woodgreen/Godshill
Godshill Wood, Ashley Walk and Godshill Pit car parks will all be closed for the duration of the drift.

Friday 12th September at Slufters
Ocknell Pond car park will be closed for the duration of the drift.

Sunday 14th September at Beaulieu Aerodrome
Beaulieu Heath, Ranswood, Bull Hill, Crockford, Stockley & Norleywood car parks and the cycle route from Ranswood to Hawk Hill, Beaulieu Aerodrome and Roundhill will all be closed for the duration of the drift.

Tuesday 16th September at Wilverley/Markway
Longslade Heath, Wilverley Pit, Wilverley Plain, Wilverley Inclosure & Hincheslea Moor car parks will all be closed for the duration of the drift.

Saturday 20th September at Blackfield/Hilltop
Moonhills & Blackwell Common car parks and the cycle route at Kings Copse will be closed for the duration of the drift.

Sunday 21st September at Burley Lawn/Burley Rocks
Mill Lawn, Woods Corner, Clayhill and Lucy Hill car parks will be closed for the duration of the drift.

Tuesday 23rd September at Penn Common
There are no planned car park closures for this drift but the public are urged to avoid the area.
Friday 26th September at Weirs, Brockenhurst
Beechern Wood, Whitefield Moor and Whitefield Pond car parks and the cycle route at North Weirs Track and School Green will be closed for the duration of the drift.

Sunday 28th September at East Boldre
Bull Hill, Norleywood, Crockford, Crockford Clump, Beaulieu Heath & Hatchet Moor car parks will be closed for the duration of the drift.

For their own safety, members of the public are urged to avoid the area of the drift on the planned dates. Please look out for the warning signs, respect the car park closures and do not verge park or block access barriers.

HEALTH & SAFETY – The Verderers take reasonable precautions to ensure the health and safety of everyone present. For these measures to be effective, everyone must take all reasonable precautions to avoid and prevent accidents occurring.

Only bona-fide practicing commoners and persons invited by the Verderers/Agisters may ride or assist on drifts. All riders are strongly recommended to wear protective headgear, e.g. hard hat and have their own third party liability insurance. The Verderers cannot be held liable for any injury or damage to persons or property and all persons attending drifts do so at their own risk.

The use of quad bikes is strictly forbidden.

For further information please contact:-

Justine Bayley, Clerk to the Verderers – 023 8028 2052 or
Jonathan Gerrelli, Head Agister – 07836 602163

FOUND in the north of the Forest – a white horned ram.

This animal will be sold if not claimed. Proof of ownership will be required.

Claims in writing please, within the next 7 days to the:

Clerk to the Verderers
The Queen’s House
Lyndhurst
SO43 7NH

Tel: 023 8028 2052

email: enquiries@verderers.org.uk

The drifts this month are: –

Wednesday 20th August at Bratley/Broomy
Milkham Car Park and the Cycle Route from Picket Post to Bratley View and Picket Post to the A31 will be closed for the duration of the drift.

Sunday 24th August at Backley
There are no planned car park closures.

Wednesday 27th August at Hale/Turf Hill
Telegraph Hill and Turf Hill Car Parks will be closed for the duration of the drift.

Friday 29th August at Newbridge
There are no planned car park closures.

Sunday 31st August at Durhill
Holmsley Car Park and the Cycle Route from Burbush to Holmsley Tea Rooms will be closed for the duration of the drift.

For their own safety, members of the public are urged to avoid the area of the drift on the planned dates. Please look out for the warning signs, respect the car park closures and do not verge park or block access barriers.

HEALTH & SAFETY – The Verderers take reasonable precautions to ensure the health and safety of everyone present. For these measures to be effective, everyone must take all reasonable precautions to avoid and prevent accidents occurring.

Only bona-fide practicing commoners and persons invited by the Verderers/Agisters may ride or assist on drifts. All riders are strongly recommended to wear protective headgear, e.g. hard hat and have their own third party liability insurance. The Verderers cannot be held liable for any injury or damage to persons or property and all persons attending drifts do so at their own risk.

The use of quad bikes is strictly forbidden.

For further information please contact:-

Justine Bayley, Clerk to the Verderers – 023 8028 2052 or
Jonathan Gerrelli, Head Agister – 07836 602163

The Verderers Hall will be open to the public between 11am and 3pm on

The open days are made possible by volunteers from the New Forest Heritage Centre and Forestry England.

Information leaflets and a map are available from the New Forest Heritage Centre in the main car park in Lyndhurst.

The Verderers Court plays a key role in maintaining the Forest’s beauty and overseeing the ancient rights of Commoning.

A heavy acorn crop is expected this year, and therefore Forestry England and the Verderers have agreed that the pannage season will commence on Monday 15th September. Unless an extension is agreed, the pannage season will end on Friday 28th November.

Pannage is the practice of turning out domestic pigs in a wood or forest in order that they may feed on fallen acorns, beech mast, chestnuts or other nuts. Historically, it was a right or privilege granted to local people on common land and it is still an important part of the New Forest’s ecology. It helps the husbandry of the other New Forest livestock – pigs can safely eat acorns as a large part of their diet, whereas excessive amounts are poisonous to ponies and cattle.

Owners of property abutting the Forest are reminded that it is their responsibility to fence out Forest animals from their land. Fences that keep ponies and cattle out will not necessarily be adequate to stop pigs.

Commoners who wish to exercise their right of pannage are reminded that they must arrange for their Agister to inspect and mark their pigs at least 14 days before they turn them out. Pigs must also be effectively ringed prior to being inspected by the Agister.

Please never feed the pigs in the Forest or anywhere else. It is illegal to feed pigs or any livestock with catering waste or kitchen scraps due to the risk of African Swine Fever.

For further information regarding the pannage season, please contact the Verderers’ office at The King’s House, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7NH or telephone 02380 282052.

A case of strangles has been confirmed in a pony from the Bartley area.

The veterinary advice that the Court always follows is to leave animals with strangles alone unless they are very sick and need veterinary intervention. Most ponies recover well and at this time of year, when most are in good condition, strangles is not usually a serious problem. The Agisters will monitor the situation closely.

Download advice

Click to viee Court Minutes – June 2025

The Verderers have published a series of pamphlets describing their responsibilities, the role of Agisters, and an overview of Commoners and their stock.

Click here to view more